Uluru is a traditional owner of the rock which shares his name in central Australia, and this weekend hundreds of people are coming together to mark 30 years since the land title was returned to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people – the Anangu.

The 1985 ceremony by governor general Sir Ninian Stephen was immediately followed by an agreement to lease Uluru and Kata Tjuta back to the Australian government as a national park for 99 years.

Thirty years ago the Northern Territory government opposed the handback and attempted to block it, but now senior ministers will be among those attending the commemoration.

Many Anangu attending this year have reflected on that day three decades ago.

“It was a pretty emotional day, with many people coming to support us,” said Leroy Lester.

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“That was the big thing about the day. All the people dancing in Mutitjulu community and the singing and all the dust and the dogs and everything was all there.

“It was all a big package. People were singing, some were crying, overjoyed emotional.”

Sunday’s celebration was set to include formal addresses by traditional owners, executives of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park and Parks Australia, as well as federal Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion and opposition leader Bill Shorten.

Anangu was to perform traditional inma dancing and song, and a concert by Dan Sultan and other performers were to end the day.

Speaking in Alice Springs ahead of his visit, Shorten said the return of the land to the Anangu had been “a remarkable success” but it was “important we move on to the next stage”.

“Hopefully that means more of the local owners being able to benefit from the economic activity of this internationally renowned and much loved site of Australia’s heritage,” he told media.

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“Now is the time to make sure our actions match up with our words, to make sure Indigenous Australians get the benefit of jobs, benefit of their cultural heritage in an economic sense, the communities have economic development and jobs, and also that we make sure nationally we are committed to recognition of our first Australians in the constitution.”

Shorten said Labor was prepared to work with the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to ensure constitutional recognition “as soon as possible”.

“I think this is a matter of great importance. I see no matter for why it should be delayed,” he said.

He said the question still needed to be decided upon, and suggested the 2017 date for a referendum should stand.

‘We’re going to be celebrating with the handback, but underneath that there can be some sad stories as well,’ said Sammy Wilson, the chairman of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

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The chairman of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta park board, Sammy Wilson, praised former prime minister Bob Hawke. “When he was prime minister he put a lot of thought into it and it must have come to him, you know, that we must give this land back,” said Wilson.

“From the community point of view it’s home, it’s country. For us to live in the community, it’s close it’s in our heart,” he said.

“We’re going to be celebrating with the handback, but underneath that there can be some sad stories as well. The sad story about that is we’ve lost many people on the way who have fought hard for this place.”

While the spotlight is on the anniversary there are also eyes on how things have changed over 30 years.

Wilson said there were many tourists who visit the site, and Anangu are pleased to share it and their stories with people, but it was so busy now that Anangu did their learning and ceremony in the Mutitjulu community, not at the rock.

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Wilson also said he thought too much of the park’s funds were being sucked up by the nearby Ayer’s Rock resort.

“One of the things Anangu say is you’ve got the Ayers Rock resort over there and it’s sucking everything like a vacuum cleaner from Anangu towards the resort. Anangu live here, they do things here, not at the resort,” he said.

“The government is not chucking to us money, they are chucking to that place.”

Wilson said Anangu are missing out and when a prime minister made promises he “had two tongues”.

“We want to be just level, but they are always up there and looking at us down here.”